The most used and trusted websites to find a place to rent in Turkey are sahibinden.com or hurriyetemlak.com. You’ll be able to see ads for rental places and sale from either their owners or via real estate agents.
As a tenant in Turkey, you’ll be expected to give the first month's rent upfront as well as a deposit of the same amount, which will go towards any damages that might happen during your stay. The deposit amount and through which payment channel it will be made must be listed in your rental contract. If you haven’t trashed the place and you made sure to note anything that looked suspicious in your rental contract before signing it, you’re more than likely to get the deposit paid back in full when you move out.
You will also have to pay the real estate agent if you have not directly rented from the owner, which is about 10% of the annual rent, including value-added tax (VAT). All in all, you’ll need roughly 3-months’ worth of rent if you want to sign a rental contract in Turkey.
Some residences, such as apartment complexes or villas, come with an “aidat,” aka a monthly maintenance fee that goes toward elevator repairs, pool cleaning, gardening fees, etc. Make sure to discuss this prior to signing your contract.
Each city in Turkey has certain areas which are not suitable for a long-term renting with the purpose of obtaining a residence permit. You can check for each area in the local Göç Dairesi (visa centers) website.
Long-term contract of rent can be obtained with “kefil” - Turkish citizen guarantor.
Landlords prefer making 1 year contract and might request a residency permit in order to make sure they won’t lose you as a renter in case you are rejected with permit. Make sure you found the landlord who agrees to give you the property for 6 months without residency permit.
If you want to terminate your rental contract early, do so by providing at least two months' written and notarized notice sent by the PTT postal service. If you fail to do so, the owner may make you pay for the remaining months of the contract.